The Trump administration is set to pull out of numerous international organizations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty governing global climate negotiations, as part of the U.S.’s ongoing withdrawal from global collaboration. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order halting support for 66 organizations, agencies, and commissions. The administration had directed a review of participation and funding for all international organizations, including those linked to the United Nations.
Most of the entities affected are UN-related bodies focusing on climate, labor, and other areas perceived by the Trump administration as promoting diversity and “woke” initiatives. The list also includes non-UN groups such as the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.
According to the State Department, the administration views these institutions as redundant, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, captured by special interests conflicting with U.S. goals, or as potential threats to the nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and prosperity. This move to disengage from organizations fostering global cooperation on shared challenges coincides with the administration’s military actions and warnings that have unsettled both allies and rivals.
Previously, the U.S. had suspended support for entities like the World Health Organization, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the UN Human Rights Council, and UNESCO. The approach now involves selectively paying dues to international bodies based on their alignment with Trump’s agenda and perceived benefits to U.S. interests.
This shift in approach to multilateralism represents a departure from previous U.S. administrations’ strategies, prompting the UN to make staffing and program adjustments. Several independent NGOs, some affiliated with the UN, have reported project closures due to the U.S. government’s reduction in foreign aid through USAID.
Despite these changes, U.S. officials, including Trump, have expressed interest in leveraging the UN to enhance American influence in key initiatives where competition with China exists, such as the International Telecommunications Union, the International Maritime Organization, and the International Labor Organization.
The decision to withdraw from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is part of a broader effort by Trump and his supporters to distance the U.S. from international bodies focusing on climate issues. This treaty, a foundation for the Paris climate agreement, has been abandoned by the U.S., with Trump dismissing climate change as a hoax.
Critics, including former White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy, view this move as shortsighted and detrimental to global collaboration on climate change. The withdrawal could impede worldwide efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, potentially stalling progress without U.S. cooperation as a major emitter and economic player.
Additionally, the U.S. will exit from the UN’s population agency, a target of Republican criticism for alleged involvement in coercive abortion practices. The State Department has identified several other organizations, such as the Carbon Free Energy Compact, the International Cotton Advisory Committee, and the International Lead and Zinc Study Group, among those the U.S. plans to depart from, with ongoing reviews in progress.